remember me beyonder oblivion

The darkness surrounded him.

No sounds, no smells. Just an infinite void.

Kairo tried to move, but his feet felt glued to the ground—if "ground" was even the right word. Around him, nothingness stretched in every direction, a dense and suffocating sea of shadows.

Then, suddenly, footsteps.

Slow.

Heavy.

A silhouette appeared before him. A tall man, his face concealed behind a white, expressionless mask. Only two dark slits in place of eyes.

Kairo's heartbeat quickened.

The man stopped just a few steps away, staring at him for what felt like an eternity. Then, in a deep, emotionless voice, he spoke:

"Are you ready to forget everything?"

A cold shiver ran down Kairo's spine.

Forget?

He didn't understand. He wanted to ask what it meant, but the words wouldn't come out. He tried to move, but his body refused to obey. Only his heart, pounding harder and harder, as if trying to break free from his chest.

The man took a step closer. An icy wave washed over Kairo, as if a piece of his very soul was crumbling away.

No.

No, he didn't want to forget.

But before he could say anything, before he could even think, the world collapsed around him.

And he woke up.

---

Tokyo – 7:30 AM

Kairo shot up from his bed, breathing heavily.

His heart pounded in his chest as the familiar outlines of his room came into focus in the morning light. The cluttered desk, the chair draped with clothes, the faded poster of an old anime above his headboard.

It was just a dream.

A nightmare.

He ran a hand over his face, trying to steady himself. But the words still echoed in his mind.

"Are you ready to forget everything?"

He shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. No, it was just his imagination. He needed to focus on the exam.

Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, the screen lit up with notifications:

[Aenna]: Wake up, idiot! You can't be late for the exam!

[Riven]: I bet you slept in. Hurry up.

[Lyra]: Good luck! Not that you'll need it… because I'm going to win. :P

A small smile crossed his lips. It was nice knowing he had friends to rely on.

He got up, stretched, and headed toward the bathroom. But as he passed by the mirror, something made him stop.

Something in the room felt… different.

He let his gaze wander, trying to figure out what it was. Then he noticed it.

The chair next to his desk.

Last night, it had been facing the window. But now, it was turned around.

As if someone had sat there. Watching him sleep.

His heart skipped a beat. He spun around.

Nothing.

For a moment, he stood still, holding his breath. Then, he shook his head. It was just the lingering unease from his dream.

Or at least, that's what he wanted to believe.

But as he walked away, one question kept gnawing at him.

Was it really just a dream?